Relapse
by omalleyanatomy26
Summary: Strauss catches a video recording of Reid in the elevator having a breakdown and having drugs in his hand. She suspends him. Gideon asks Reid to stay with him as Reid tries to recover. Hotch feels guilty for putting Reid in the field 2 soon. Short fic


**This is going to be a three parter. **

Agent Strauss had called a meeting in for Hotch, Gideon and Morgan. All three were confused. This was the first time they had met this woman and for all three to be in a meeting was very strange.

The woman was stiff, formal and cold. None of them liked her at all. They could tell she had some hidden agenda.

"I want to talk about Dr. Reid." She said after they seated. Gideon frowned, father like protectivness sweeping over him.

"Why?"

"How well do you think he's doing after the Tobias Hankel incident?"

"He's coping with it the best he can," said Hotch quickly. "He's struggling with it but I assure you he is fully capable of working right now. In fact, it's good for him, keeps him busy and makes him feel useful."

Strauss stared at him through the glasses.

"I think you're wrong," she said coldly. "And that Dr. Reid is struggling a great deal at the moment."

"Of course he is!" Cried out Morgan. "He was kidnapped and drugged for two days! What do you expect?" Fury and contempt was in his voice now. She turned to glower at him.

"We caught something on video I think you'd find interesting. It seemed like Dr. Reid saught some privacy in the elevator."

Hotch, Gideon, and Morgan glanced at each other.

"What do you mean?" Gideon asked.

She turned to face the tv that they now noticed was in the room and pressed play.

There was Reid getting into the elevator. He was pacing back and forth. Morgan stared at the kid with sadness in his eyes. Damn it he should have been paying more attention to him, asked him how he was doing more.

Hotch closed his eyes.

They watched as Reid pressed the emergency button and sink into the ground, his whole body was shaking. Gideon straightened, though, when they watched him take something out of his pocket.

Morgan's eyes widened. Drugs? He knew Reid was messed up at the moment but for some reason drugs never entered his mind.

They watched as Reid clutched the bottle, his hands were shaking, and tears formed around his eyes, Gideon closed his own eyes and Hotch shook his head sadly when Reid brushed his hand over his hair helplessly.

Suddenly all three jumped when he clutched the dilaudid and smashed it to the floor.

Quiet sobs errupted from him then as he sank down onto the ground.

Strauss paused the tape and glanced at them.

Hotch's face remained calm and stoic but his eyes were troubled by what he had seen. Morgan had a mix of pain and anger, pain for what Reid was going through and anger towards Tobias for creating this situation in the first place.

Gideon just felt saddness for Reid. And guilt that he couldn't protect him.

"Now do you think he is fit for duty?" Strauss asked and All three of them looked at her sharply.

"What are you suggesting?" Hotch asked sharply. She sighed and leaned back.

"I am temporarily suspending Dr. Reid from duty."

"What?" Morgan rose quickly out of his chair. "You can't do that!"

"I can and I will Agent Morgan, and I suggest you calm down," Strauss snapped. Gideon pulled at Morgan's sleeve for him to sit.

"You have no grounds to suspend him," Gideon said coldly.

"Oh but I do. The FBI has a STRICT nod drug policy and this is evidence that he was doing drugs."

"He had drugs forced into him, highly addictive drugs, and you expect him to be able to quit cold turkey?" Hotch snarled. She stared at him with a look of pure loathing.

"Yes, I do Agent Hotchner. I do pity him for having the drugs forced on him but he made a special effort to get the drugs, did he not? Where he got them I'm not sure but that is a sign that he has not recovered if he is carrying them around in his pocket."

"He also smashed it up," Gideon said. "It shows he's fighting it."

"For now but with the stresses of this job...what if soemthing triggers it?" She glanced at them. "I could fire him on the spot and in most cases I would. The reason why this is a suspenion is for the reasons you've said, he was forced to take the drugs against his will. But he needs more time off then he was given to recover."

"He NEEDS this job," Hotch argued. "It's the only thing keeping him sane, keeping him distracted and busy."

"That might not be a good thing. He has to have time off to think about what has happened, to deal with it or else it WILL resurfaace."

She stood up and saw all three were glowering at her with hatred.

"Hasn't he been through enough? Now you're going to make him think his career is in jeapordy too?" Morgan asked with a hint of anger and helplessness.

"I am doing this for the good of the team and for the good of Dr. Reid."

"Bullshit," Hotch said quietly and She stared at him.

"I'd be very careful with what you say Agent Hotchner, I have it under suspension that all of you suspected he was on drugs and didn't report him. I could have your jobs for that."

Before she left she added.

"I suggest you inform Dr. Reid as soon as possible."

Then she turned and left them in dismayed silence.

"Who's going to tell Reid?" Morgan finally asked.

"I will," both Gideon and Hotch said. They looked at each other.

"We'll tell him together," said Hotch and Morgan nodded.

"I should be there too, for support." He shook his head. "I should have known, sensed something...I knew he was messed ujp and struggling but that scene in the elevator-"

"He's a very good actor," sighed Gideon.

"Too good of a one," Hotch mumbled. He pressed the pager for Reid. "He should be on his way," he sighed. Morgan shook his head.

"He doesn't need this, not now."

"This might be the thing that causes him to crack," Gideon said quietly.

Reid came in looking confused.

"You needed to see me?" He asked as he sat. He frowned at Morgan. "Why are you here?"

Morgan and Hotch glanced at each other but Gideon didn't stop looking at Reid.

"They found video footage," he said quietly. "Of you in an elevator here."

Reid swallowed. Panic filled him. He tried to remain calm.

"What? What do you mean?"

"Agent Strauss showed us it," Morgan said softly. "We saw the drugs Reid."

Reid closed his eyes and sucked in his breath.

"I...I didn't take them, though," he whispered. "I...didn't..."

"We know," Hotch said gently. "But that doesn't matter to Strauss."

Reid blinked back tears.

"What...what does she want? Is she firing me?"

"No...but you are on suspenion," Gideon said quietly. Reid closed his eyes.

"I didn't take it though!" His voice rose. "You saw me smash it-"

"The FBI has a strict no drug policy code," said Hotch quietly. Reid closed his eyes.

"I know...I haven't taken any...just urges both those urges aren't my fault!"

"That's why you're not fired," Morgan said. "Strauss knows you were drugged against your well."

Hotch sighed as he saw the pain in the young mans eyes.

"Maybe this isn't a bad idea," he said qiuetly. "Would give you some more time to recover...maybe we pushed you too much-"

"I'm not weak!" Reid protested and Gideon shook his head quickly.

"No one is saying that you are Reid." He frowned. "I'm not sure if I like the idea of you staying by yourself."

Reid frowned.

"You don't trust me."

"It's not that, withdrawl can be a dangerous and painful expeirence. I don't want you going through it alone. How about you move in with me during your suspension? That way if it's really bad you're not alone."

Reid swallowed. He was weak, no matter what the others said he knew that was true. He was weak and he knew the others thought this too deep down inside of him. He felt embarrassed that they had caught him during such a vulnerable weak state. He was ashamed to look at them, especially Hotch.

Slowly he nodded. If he was weak he might as well get someone to watch over him and make sure he doesn't slip up.

"Fine," he mumbled. He stood up. "I'll clean out my desk," he said quietly.

"Keep your stuff there," Hotch said with a shake of his head. "You'll return, I'll see to that personally."

Reid cleared his throat and nodded.

"I'll go back to my place," He told Gideon. "And get my stuff." Gideon stodd up.

"I'll go with you."

Morgan and Hotch hated seeing Reid look so broken, fragil, so lifeless.

"I'm going to make Strauss pay for this," growled Morgan. Hotch nodded.

"You and me both, lets concentrate on helping Reid recover and getting his job back first though."

Morgan agreed and stood up to leave.

Hotch sat at the desk. If anyone was responsible it was him. He put the kid out in the field too soon, expected too much for him. He pushed the video of the elevator again and watched the breakdown for the second time.

"I'm so sorry, Reid," he whispered as he heard the young man's sobs. "I hope you can forgive me."


End file.
